In the next few minutes, I want to share with you some of the things that I've learned over the years. Most of them, I learned because of mistakes I made, mistakes that cost me dearly. If I had understood these principles earlier in my life, it would have prevented a lot of heartache, eliminated many setbacks, and most importantly, I would have been able to provide more for my family and do it sooner.

It is my sincere hope and goal that what follows can do the same for others.

There's a secret to success... there really is. It is used by everyone who has ever accomplished anything of note. And the ability to utilize this magical secret is within each of us. But most of us avoid it like the plague. Because, you see, for many, it makes them uncomfortable. It's just not something they want to have anything to do with it. I don't blame them. It's a four-letter word, and it's not for everyone.

My sincerest hope is that in the next 10 minutes, I can persuade you that if you are not yet consistently using this simple secret, you will decide to make it an everyday part of your life. It's the key to everything positive you will ever have in your life. What is that word?

WORK! Success in anything requires positive, consistent action. And I don't mean just going to your job. I mean doing the things you know you can and should do. The things that are over and above what your neighbors do....  Following through on the great ideas you have, doing today what most people "say" they will do tomorrow (and then never do them at all).

When you have that thought, "Wow, they really ought to do... this or that," don't just go back to the couch. YOU BECOME THE THEY! You think about how you can do it. Who do you know that can help? Or who do you know, who knows someone who can help?  There's a way it can be done, and there's a way that you can be the one to do it!

The first thing we all need to realize is that success is rarely an accident... The success we achieve or don't achieve is a choice!  It's the result of a decision to act or not to act! So many people look around at their doctor, their realtor, their lawyer, the restaurant owner and think "Look at the lucky SOB, he's got everything". But remember, with few exceptions, we begin at the same starting line. Getting ahead doesn't just happen. Those people we all admire were not just lucky. They were committed and they acted!  They didn't just ponder, imagine, or dream... they acted!

Opportunity didn't just fall into their lap. They made it happen. And even if we want to say they were lucky that they were presented with a great opportunity, we must realize that opportunity doesn't do any good if, when it comes knocking, we don't answer the door. We still have to get up and do something! ACT!

I don't remember where I heard it, but I've never forgotten this saying.

Your ship coming in doesn't do any good if you're on the couch instead of the dock!

Don't let your thoughts, ideas, and potential die on the couch. Do something with them. If your idea has potential, you'll find someone who can help you make it happen. That's a fact.

Look around you. Every great business was once just someone's idea. Apple? An idea, a business that was built in a garage. Facebook, an idea to create a social network for college students. Walmart, a man with a little hardware store who thought he could do more... It turned out he was right! And realize, the idea doesn't have to be great!...

Ever heard of a pet rock?! It was a stone that was placed in a box and then sold as a "pet". An absurdly stupid idea was acted upon. It made a fortune!

For each of us, the life we want is within our reach. But we have to get off the couch. Do Something! Success and achievement require more than a good idea or even a great idea. Think about this....

Even the most brilliant idea in the history of man is useless, absolutely useless, unless combined with action. Action is the key. The reality is that most of us have and use a thousand excuses that let us sit comfortably on the couch, in front of the computer, day after day, planning, thinking, and talking about all the great things we can and will do "someday". But understand this :

• It's not what you know...

• It's not what you think....

• It's not what you planned...

• It's not how great your potential is

• It's not how brilliant you are...

• It's not how amazing your idea is...

• The only thing that really matters is what you do!...

There is a trite little saying that has within it the wisdom of the ages....

If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got.

Simply put, if our lives are to improve and change, our actions must change. Do you want more out of life? Something better for yourself and your family? You can have it. It truly is within your grasp. But it will require change. It will require new choices and new actions! A new concept of "work".

Work is so much more than a 4 letter word. It's the key to your future.

In our next message, we are going to discuss how to deal with, overcome, and actually use setbacks to your advantage. If you're more than 2 years old, you already know that things don't always work out as you wanted or expected. For some people, that setback is the equivalent of a failure that defines them as themselves, destroys their confidence, kills their drive and permanently stops them in their tracks.

For others, setbacks and failures are simply opportunities to learn and get better at what they do. They are essential stepping stones for lasting success. We are going to show you how to make failure your best friend.